I agree with most of Stephen Clark's letter, "Don't help Israel" (Forum, Nov. 3), but I disagree with his conclusion that we should stop all aid to Israel. We should use our aid as leverage to force Israel to comply with international law and stop Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem. I hope we find the backbone to do that. Earlier this year, President Barack Obama stated that Israel must stop all colonization of the West Bank, but in a confrontation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on this issue, our leader blinked.

Our nation's most pressing security threat is the rise of radical Islam, and our best defense is to promote moderate, peaceful Islam around the world. We can't achieve that while tacitly supporting, through no-strings financial aid, the ongoing invasion of Arab lands in Palestine. It's time to put our country's interests first.

John Pace

Salt Lake City


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